It All Started...

by David W. Smith

  When Lance came to, his head was in Kimberly’s lap, her fingers brushing the hair away from his forehead. When she told him about Wolf’s sudden appearance, Lance managed a small smile. “That’s my partner.”

  “Why is it foggy all of a sudden?” She looked around the Fort’s parade grounds, distracted. “We need to get you out of here, Lance. You need help. Do you think you can walk?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Oh. my head is killing me.”

  “At least Daniel hit the hardest part of you.” Kimberly was so relieved he was all right she was almost crying.

  “Ha ha,” was all Lance could manage as a comeback.

  Since the main gate to the Fort was securely locked, Kimberly led him over to the only exit—the escape tunnel—and entered ahead of him. Lance was slow, but he knew he had to get out of there. A moan of pain came from his white lips from time to time.

  When they got near the end, Kimberly heard what sounded like a howl and was suddenly blinded by a brilliant light that came from just outside the tunnel. A sudden blast of wind blew her back, covering her with leaves and dirt. Then, the pink light and the wind stopped as quickly as they had started.

  “What was that?” Lance asked as she fell back against him.

  “I’m not sure. It came from outside.” It was calm when she helped him out of the tunnel. They stood locked together in a close embrace, an embrace that was as much from emotion as it was to help Lance remain upright. Her mind was spinning. She wasn’t sure what she had just seen and heard, never having witnessed Wolf’s methods before. But, if that was what had just happened, it chilled her to the bone.

  Lance looked up toward the sky, trying to peer through the fog that was beginning to dissipate. The movement of his neck caused a sharp pain to course through his head. “Oww. Remind me not to do that again. Where are Wolf and Daniel? Wolf should have caught him by now.”

  “But Daniel had a knife, as the holes in my arm can testify.” Angry, she rubbed the red welts, recalling Lance wouldn’t have any way of knowing what had just happened.

  Lance gave a chuckle. It wasn’t a mirthful chuckle. “I don’t think Wolf cared about that little knife.”

  “Lance, I had to give Daniel the pendant. He had it when he left. He’s probably long gone by now. Maybe Wolf is still chasing him.”

  Lance held her tight. “I don’t care about the diamond. We’ll do fine without it. I just care about you. You’re safe. That’s all the reward I need.”

  They stood together for a moment longer, foreheads touching. That was enough for them. They had each other.

  It was a moan from Lance that brought Kimberly back to the present—the uncertain present. “We need to get you back to the mainland. Daniel brought me over on a raft.”

  Lance tried to nod, but the movement still hurt too much. “Same here. I’m not sure how Wolf got here. There might be a canoe nearby.” That was all he seemed capable of contributing when he lapsed into silence, a grimace from the pain crossing his face.

  Kimberly put his arm around her waist to help him along. Walking a few steps in the fog, she suddenly stopped. “Lance! That’s Daniel’s knife! Why is it there on the ground?”

  “Dunno,” Lance mumbled. “Bring it along. I might need it later.” He didn’t see the need to tell Kimberly why. If need be, he had plans of his own.

  “Come on, Lance. The raft dock is just down this path. You can make it.” She needed to be strong and encourage him, not cry from frustration, anger, or worry.

  She led them around the front of the Fort. If that odd fog hadn’t come in, they could have seen the canoe dock across from them and the Hungry Bear Restaurant. In their current predicament, she wondered if the wispy fog was a blessing or a curse. Did they want help and have to explain the Whats and the Whys? Or could they manage to get Lance across on their own and not have the risk of exposure?

  Kimberly stopped short when she reached the raft’s landing dock. The raft Daniel had used was still there. A small utility canoe, usually hidden on the far side of the Hungry Bear Restaurant, was tied up next to the raft. That had to be the means Wolf used to get across the River. Hopefully Lance wouldn’t notice and ask too many questions—ones she didn’t want to have to answer.

  Lance did notice. “That means they’re still here on the Island. There’s no other way to get off unless they swam, which is totally unnecessary with a raft and a canoe here.”

  Kimberly said nothing and tried to help Lance move toward the raft.

  Still trying to work out the inconsistency, Lance attempted to shake his head no, but stopped. “No, we would have heard them. The Island isn’t that wide. I have a feeling neither one of them would be silent right now.”

  Kimberly got him as far as a bench under one of the overhanging trees. “The fog is clearing.”

  “That’s really weird. Well, if they aren’t here and they couldn’t have left, then where are they?”

  For four days, Lance tried to reach Wolf to find out what happened on the Island. But Wolf never answered his phone and never showed up at work. It was as if he had disappeared off the face of the planet.

  On the fifth day, there was a knock on the door of Lance’s apartment. Kimberly answered the door and was surprised to see a bedraggled Wolf standing there. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. It was Wolf’s turn to be surprised when Kimberly threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Wolf! I am so glad to see you.” Lance doesn’t know, she hurriedly whispered. ”We were so worried. Lance! Wolf is here.” She finally released Wolf just after he whispered back to her that ‘all is well.’

  Lance, the back of his neck bandaged, came to shake hands with his security partner. “Good to see you, man. Come on in.”

  He took a couple of steps inside. “I can’t stay. I’m on my way to work.” Wolf looked back and forth at the two pairs of eyes that stared at him. “I just came to tell you everything was taken care of.”

  Lance looked at Kimberly, not sure what he meant. “What is taken care of?”

  “Daniel. He won’t bother you ever again.” At Lance’s confused look, Wolf had to say something. “I…umm, convinced him to move far away. He won’t be coming back.”

  Lance took him on his word and looked relieved. “For Kimberly’s sake, I hope that’s true. What about the pendant? Did you see what he did with it?”

  Wolf shrugged one shoulder, knowing he couldn’t reveal the truth that the pendant was back in his safe-keeping. He didn’t like to lie to his best friend, but it couldn’t be avoided. “I didn’t see it. I have to go. Doka, Lance. Kimberly.”

  Lance clapped him on the shoulder. “Doka, Wolf.”

  Wolf gave a quick, meaningful glance to Kimberly. It wasn’t time yet for Lance to know. They both nodded their heads once in understanding as he turned toward the door to leave.

  As he closed the door behind Wolf, Lance gave a sigh. “Well, I guess we’ll never know.”

  Kimberly slipped her arm around his waist. “Know what?” She hoped he wasn’t referring to her uncle.

  “What the power of the pendant was. Why it was so important to Walt.”

  Kimberly’s mind flashed back to her vision—still so real that she could almost touch it—of her holding the hand of a happy, smiling blond-haired little girl and standing with Lance. How you get it is up to you, Walt had written. “Hmm,” she hesitated as the power of the vision took away her power of speech. “I only know the diamond was very beautiful,” she told Lance when she could talk again. In her mind, she felt thankful that the red diamond heart was gone. While her vision was quite wonderful, it also revealed the diamond’s power. That power, whatever it meant, was something she felt shouldn’t be in anyone’s hands.

  “Lance?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Did I tell you today that I loved you?”

  Lance smiled. “No, actually you didn’t,” pulling her into an embrace.

  She smiled back. “Oh, okay, then. Just checking.”

  Lance, dresse
d in his Security uniform, stood quietly inside the exit of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. His mouth was dry and his heart raced when he had walked up the exit ramp into the dark interior of the ride. The costumed cast members, intent at their jobs of loading and unloading guests, were quickly scanned. It was a busy summer day at the Park and he knew the line winding its way through the outside queue was long. None of the cast members gave him any heed; only a few disembarking female guests gave him a smiling, second look as they headed toward the exit and their next destination.

  However, Lance didn’t see these glances. If he had, the ladies would have possibly received a vague smile. He had something more important on his mind that bothered him. Still. It still bothered him. It ate at him and sometimes throbbed worse than the knot on the back of his head, his parting gift from Daniel Crain. He had to try and talk to Beth to see if she could ever forgive him. If she yelled at him or slapped him in the face, so be it. He knew he deserved it. Maybe she needed closure, too. She didn’t deserve what he had done to her. She should have her chance, her day in court as his lawyer friends would have said.

  But knowing what you should do and knowing the possible outcome don’t make that first step any easier. Thus far he only had made it into the exit of the ride she was currently working. But now he needed to take the next step and actually find her to see if they could have a private moment together. He licked his dry lips and headed for the cast member currently at the podium. She would be the Lead who oversaw the boats, to make sure they were loaded properly and sent on their way.

  Sabrina’s eyes lit up when Lance suddenly appeared next to her. She had been trying to catch his attention for over a year now. “Lance! Hold on a second, sweetheart, don’t move a muscle.… Diane, see that row three is left empty in the next boat for the handicap section. Thank you.… Now, Lance,” she turned back to him with a broad grin, leaning forward over the top of the podium. “What can I do for you?”

  Lance knew she wasn’t talking about anything to do with Security or her job. He gave her a half smile. “Nice to see you, too, Sabrina. How’s Tom?”

  Sabrina gave a pretty pout at the name of her current boyfriend. She’d easily dump him for Lance. In the middle of an ‘I don’t know what you mean’ shrug, something caught her eye. “Hold on.… Cloe? There’s a jacket left behind in row one. Could you grab it, please? Now, Lance, you were saying?”

  “I was saying to say ‘hi’ to Tom for me.” He saw a brief look of disappointment pass over her pretty face. “I’m looking for someone, actually.”

  She wasn’t about to give up so easily. “You found someone, actually.”

  “Actually,” Lance drawled out, “I am looking for Beth Roberts. I thought she was working here today.” The calming effect that bantering with Sabrina had on him ended when he mentioned Beth’s name. His heart started to pound again.

  “Humpf,” Sabrina sighed. “Beth? First that dreamy Wolf comes looking for her and now you. Some things just aren’t fair. She’s up in Dispatch.” The upper booth on the other side of the queue was indicated with a resigned tilt of her chin. “You can cross over after this next boat unloads.”

  Lance gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Thanks, Sabrina. Tom’s a lucky man.”

  Sabrina watched as he hopped through the empty boat. She looked as if she had no idea who Tom was.

  Lance climbed the flight of wooden steps up to the Dispatch office. There was a bank of monitors on one wall, each focused on a different part of the ride and the boats going through. The cast member in charge of Dispatch made sure everyone stayed safely seated and that no one took flash pictures. If there was any problem on the ride, Dispatch would be the first to know about it and respond accordingly, even to the point of shutting down the ride if necessary. Two of the walls had huge windows that overlooked the Blue Bayou and the boats as they started on their journey.

  Unseen so far, he paused in the doorway. Beth was there, her back to him as she watched the monitors. Obviously irritated, she was muttering out loud to herself when another bright flash went off in the Ship Battle scene. Lance smiled. That’s my Beth.

  Beth again took the microphone in hand and, eyes on the screen, she could see the man actually stand up in the flat-bottom boat to take a better picture of the Wicked Wench. “How many times do I have to tell you?” she muttered before punching the button on the microphone. “For your safety, please remain seated at all times. And no flash photography.” Her voice came across as deceptively calm. It wasn’t what she wanted to say.

  “What is it with you people!” she exclaimed to the monitor. That same person was still standing and ready to take another picture as they sailed past the fort. She grabbed the microphone. “Please remain seated. Do not make me pull this car over!”

  She gave a laugh of triumph when the man’s head shot around, apparently looking for whoever who was watching him. He sat back down immediately. She could see the other guests in the boat start to applaud. “Idiot,” she mumbled.

  Unable to keep silent any longer, Lance started to laugh. He wanted to go give her a hug, but held back. “Boy, Captain, I think you scared the bejeebers out of him.”

  Startled by the unexpected company, Beth almost knocked her chair over in her surprise. Lance’s voice was immediately recognized, but she hadn’t known anyone was in the small room with her. “Oh my god. Lance.” She regained her composure and managed to go white at the same time.

  Suddenly nervous again, he didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he thrust them in his pockets. His mouth opened to say something and then closed again when he saw her eyes fill with tears. Lance gave a small shrug, unsure what to do next.

  Beth didn’t give him too many options. Without another word, she flung herself into his arms and hugged him.

  Eyes closed, his arms went around his lost friend. If they hugged any tighter, they would have gone right through each other.

  “I’m so sorry,” he started.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” she started at the same time.

  “What?” They both laughed, breaking the tension.

  “Crybaby.” He wiped a tear that ran down her cheek.

  “Felon,” she kidded back.

  “Hold-out.”

  “Heartbreaker.”

  “Sweetheart.”

  “Hey, you’re not playing right.” Breaking the hug, she let out a shaky laugh as she glanced back at the monitors. The man was still seated and his camera wasn’t in sight. “Just a second.” She held up a warning finger, “Don’t go anywhere. I think I need to yell at you or something….” Beth picked up the handset of the phone and called down to Sabrina. “Sabrina, when boat forty-two comes back, give everyone except the dark-haired guy in row four a readmission pass. Yeah, they deserve it.… Okay, back to you, Slick.” With everything on the ride going smoothly, she could turn her attention back to Lance.

  He held his arms out to the sides and lifted his chin. “Go ahead. Take a free shot. You deserve it.”

  “Drama queen.” Her broad grin belied her words as she folded her arms across her chest.

  Lance opened one eye when he realized she wasn’t going to take him up on his offer. He relaxed his stance and became serious, which caused his heart to race again. It was easier just to banter like they used to. But, that wasn’t why he was there. “Beth, I hope you know how sorry I am. I don’t know what came over me that day with you and Adam.… Well, besides greed and desperation and an amazing amount of stupidity,” he muttered more to himself than to Beth. “There’s no excuse, really. I hope you can forgive me.”

  Beth’s eyes filled with tears again. “Oh, gosh, you made me cry again.”

  “Obviously, Captain Obvious.”

  That made her laugh and cry at the same time. “Great. Now I’m going to have to redo my makeup. Gosh, I’ve missed you so much. How did you get that bandage on your head, by the way?”

  Lance grimaced as he gingerly touched the thick pad. “Let’s just say I got
some sense knocked into me and leave it at that.” He wasn’t going to fill her in on all that he’d been through lately, especially about Daniel Crain and the heart pendant. There were some things that would just have to remain between Kimberly and him.

  “At least they hit the hardest part of you.”

  Lance rolled his eyes. “Why is that the first thing everyone says?”

  “Duh.”

  “So, I’m forgiven?” He looked so hopeful, sounding like a child who had broken his mom’s favorite vase.

  After a glance at the monitor bank, Beth came into his arms again. He could hear the relief in her voice. “Of course, Frat Boy. I knew something had to be very wrong for you to do that. And, hopefully, it all got worked out.” It was more of a question for Lance than a wishful statement.

  He didn’t miss the question. “Yes, I think it has.” His face darkened a little. “What about Adam?”

  Beth gave a sigh and walked back to her chair at the monitor wall. She gave a cursory look at all the images. Everyone was seated and there were no blinding flashes going off. “Adam,” she repeated with another sigh. “That’s a whole different ball game, Slick.” She looked away, unseeing out the window. She was still upset she couldn’t even bring up the subject of Lance to Adam yet. “It’s going to take some more time, I think.” She wasn’t even sure if she had said that out loud or just thought it to herself.

  Lance just nodded. He knew Adam. When Adam’s trust was lost, it took a long time—if ever—to earn it again. “Well, then I’ll just have to wait.” He was discouraged, since he had hoped—even against the facts of Adam’s personality—that it would somehow be over by now and they could all go back to being friends. Well, he had Beth back. That was a good start. He’d never give up on Adam. “Hey, I have some good news for you, Captain. I’m getting married.”